New York City
The City of New York, usually called either New York City (NYC) or simply New York (NY), is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2017 population of 8,622,698 distributed over a land area of about ,Quick Facts for New York city, New York, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 9, 2017.Stormwater , New York City Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed February 9, 2017. "These impervious surfaces cover approximately 72% of New York City’s 305 square miles in land area and generate a significant amount of stormwater." New York is also the most densely populated major city in the United States. Located at the southern tip of the state of New York, the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass and one of the world's most populous megacities, with an estimated 20,320,876 people in its 2017 Metropolitan Statistical Area and 23,876,155 residents in its Combined Statistical Area. A global power city, New York City has been described as the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world, and exerts a significant impact upon commerce, entertainment, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, fashion, and sports. The city's fast pace has inspired the term New York minute. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations,Plan your visit , United Nations. Accessed February 9, 2017. "The Headquarters of the United Nations is located in New York City, along the East River. When you pass through the gates of the United Nations visitors’ entrance, you enter an international territory. This 18-acre site does not belong to just one country, but to all countries that have joined the Organization; currently, the United Nations has 193 Member States." New York is an important center for international diplomacy. Situated on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which is a separate county of the State of New York. The five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. The city and its metropolitan area constitute the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. New York City is home to more than 3.2 million residents born outside the United States, the largest foreign-born population of any city in the world. In 2017, the New York metropolitan area produced a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of US$1.73 trillion. Statistic|website=Statista|accessdate=July 9, 2018}} If greater New York City were a sovereign state, it would have the 12th highest GDP in the world. New York is home to the highest number of billionaires of any city in the world. New York City traces its origins to a trading post founded by colonists from the Dutch Republic in 1624 on Lower Manhattan; the post was named New Amsterdam in 1626. The city and its surroundings came under English control in 1664 and were renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of York. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the country's largest city since 1790. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to the U.S. by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is an international symbol of the U.S. and its ideals of liberty and peace. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a global node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance, and environmental sustainability, and as a symbol of freedom and cultural diversity. Many districts and landmarks in New York City are well known, with the city having three of the world's ten most visited tourist attractions in 2013 and receiving a record 62.8 million tourists in 2017. Several sources have ranked New York the most photographed city in the world. Times Square, iconic as the world's "heart" and its "Crossroads", is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway Theater District, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. The names of many of the city's landmarks, skyscrapers,Buildings in New York City , Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Accessed February 9, 2017. and parks are known around the world. Manhattan's real estate market is among the most expensive in the world. New York is home to the largest ethnic Chinese population outside of Asia, with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city. Providing continuous 24/7 service, the New York City Subway is the largest single-operator rapid transit system worldwide, with rail stations. Over 120 colleges and universities are located in New York City, including Columbia University, New York University, and Rockefeller University, which have been ranked among the top universities in the world. Anchored by Wall Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York has been called both the most economically powerful city and the leading financial center of the world, https://www.longfinance.net/publications/long-finance-reports/the-global-financial-centres-index-25/ Accessed March 23, 2019. and the city is home to the world's two largest stock exchanges by total market capitalization, the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. References Category:New York City Category:1624 establishments in the Dutch Empire Category:1624 establishments in North America Category:Cities in New York (state) Category:Former capitals of the United States Category:Former state capitals in the United States Category:Populated places established in 1624 Category:Populated places on the Hudson River Category:Port cities and towns of the United States Atlantic coast Category:Cities in the New York metropolitan area Category:Populated coastal places in New York (state) Category:Populated places established in 1898 Category:Establishments in New Netherland Category:1898 establishments in New York (state) Category:Populated places established by the Dutch West India Company